Cambodia Calling: Guns, ammunition and uniforms for sale in Phnom Penh market

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Guns, ammunition and uniforms for sale in Phnom Penh market

What a great story from CambodiaMirror.wordpress.com, translated from the Khmer language daily Kampuchea Thmey. To me it is just like everything else in this country - the inferiors always end up paying for their superiors' corruption.

Hundreds of military personnel raided a market in Phnom Penh (Psar Terk Thla) last week.

“What the authorities confiscated most were military uniforms, and it is said that those uniforms had been sold by military generals to the traders; in some cases, the names of those who had provided them were still attached to the supplies of uniforms, which actually were to be distributed to soldiers at the Preah Vihear Temple."

These military bosses do not give out equipment to their soldiers. Hats, hammocks and guns have to be bought by the soldiers at Psar Terk Thla, since their higher ups sell everything to the markets for extra cash.

“In addition to uniforms, hammocks, and hats, about 90% of police and military police have to buy also their pistols themselves, because their leaders do not release them to them, as they are expensive, and the leaders can benefit by selling them secretly. They order their closest subordinates to contact traders, doing it as a secret business."

The paper reports the authorities not only confiscated the contraband from ten stalls, but also arrested some sellers "to educate them".

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